Signaling device



20, 1940. T, BRANDON 2,191,247v

SIGNALING DEVICE Filed April 7, 1958 [IO M A.C.

mum M011 MZWZMW Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5Claims.

This invention relates generally to new and useful improvements insignaling devices, and a prime object of my invention is to provide asignal lamp and novel electrical circuit means therefor, adapted tofunction in conjunction with a telephone bell or like audible signal,and resettable ball means mechanically actuated by movement of theclapper of the bell upon ringing of the bell to close the signal circuitand illuminate the lamp to provide visual indication of the functioningof the bell.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, thenature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following thedescription, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated inthe accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a signal constructed in accordance withmy invention showing the signal in its associated position to an audiblealarm, H

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the casing thereof,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially in the plane ofabutment of the case sections, and

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of'Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my invention is embodied in a signaldevice including two symmetrical case sections,5, 5 suitably securedtogether to form the case or housing 6. The case is preferably formed ofporcelain and is provided with a lamp-receiving bore I. A cylindricalrecess 8, havinga concave bottom 9, is located adjacent the upperportion of the bore I and is separated therefrom by the wall of thebore. The lower end of the recess 8 has an opening III to provide opencommunication with the bore 1, and the upper end of the recessterminates in a short laterally extending ball-supporting recess IIhaving a concave lower surface I2.

Threaded metallic shells I3, II are secured within the upper and lowerportions respectively of the bore I, and are connected by a conductorelement I5. An electric bulb I6 is screwed into the shell I3, and anelectric plug II carrying power wires from any suitable source ofpotential, such as commercial power current, is screwed into the shellII. Spaced contacts I8, III are secured within the opening III and havetheir ends extending into the bore I and into the recess 8. The endswhich extend into the recess are shaped to generally conform to thecontour of the wall of the recess. The ends of the contacts which extendinto the bore are disposed in yieldable conof the lamp bulb.

preferably is pivotally connected to and near the 10 free end of aclapper arm 22 of an alarm or signal bell 23. It is to be understood,however, that the rod can be actuated by other elements movable as anincident to the operation of an audible signal.

Upon the actuation of the alarm or signal bell, the clapper thereof willoscillate, thereby eifecting the reciprocation of the impelling rodwhich in turn unseats the ball I9 from the lateral recess into thevertical recess 8 where it falls to the bottom and closes the spaceintermediate the contacts I 8 and completes a circuit thereacross, Thiseffects the illumination of the bulb and provides the desired visualindication in addition to the audible alarm.

Means are provided to break the circuit and to reset the contact ball.These means include a slidable plunger 24 which extends into the recess8 and is provided on its inner end with an offset concave pusher 25 ofnon-conducting material. The outer end of the plunger is provided with afinger knob 26, and a coil spring 21 surrounds the plunger and isdisposed intermediate the finger knob and the case and serves toyieldably hold the plunger in its retracted position. When it is desiredto reset the signal, the plunger is merely pushed upwardly until theball I9 rolls into the lateral recess, the offset concave pusher 25serving as an inclined plane thereby utilizing the force of gravity toeffect the lateral movement of the ball into the recess.

Lugs 28 may be provided for mounting the signal upon a wall or othersupporting surface.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a visual signal which isassociated with and operated by movement oi an element movable as anincident to the functioning of an audible alarm to give visualindication that the alarm is actually functioning.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure andarrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A visual electric signal including a casing, a vertical boreextending through said casing, a vertical recess disposed adjacent theupper end of-said bore and separated therefrom by the wall said bore,the lower end of said recess being in open communication with said boreand the upper end 0! said recess terminating in a short laterallyextending recess having a concave bottom, a metal ball normallysupported on said concave bottom, an electric lamp mounted in the 7upper end of said bore, a plug containing connections to an outsidesource of power mounted in the lower end of said bore, a conductor stripconnecting the outside contacts 01' the lamp and the plug, the lamp andplug each including the usual side and center contacts, spaced contactsabutting the central contact oi' the lamp and plug and extending intosaid vertical recess, means including a reciprocating rod having itsinner end in surface contact with said ball, for impelling said ballfrom the lateral recess into the vertical recess, whereby the ball willfill the space intermediate said contacts and ciose said circuit, andmeans including a vertically slidable plunger, for returning said ballto its normal position in said lateral recess.

A device of the class described having a case provided with a recess,contacts insulated from each other by the case each having a portionprojecting into said recess and a portion projecting exteriorly thereof,a signal, a supply connection, means mounting said signal and supplyconnection on the case in conducting relation with each other and withthe external projecting portions of said contacts, a conductor elementarranged to bodily move in said recess into and out 01' circuit-closingrelation with the contact portions therein, said recess having a lateralextension with a wall constructed and arranged tric circuittherethrough, said recess having a lateral extension above said contactswith a wall constructed and arranged to retain said element out ofcircuit-closing position, and means carried by the case operable toreturn the rolling element from the first mentioned contact portions tosaid lateral extension.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which the last mentioned means is adevice engageable with the rolling element from below and mounted tomove upwardly in said recess to align the rolling element with thelateral extension, said device having a surface inclined in thedirection for gravitation of the rolling element into the lateralextension.

5. A device of the class described having a case, said case comprisingseparable sections of insulation each having hollow portions registeringand providing a recess, a contact carried by each section having aportion in said recess and a portion projecting exteriorly thereof, thelatter portions being spaced apart, an element arranged to roll in saidrecess to engage and disengage the contact portions therein, and meanscarried by the case operable to move said element out of engagement withthe contacts.

'lHONY ERNEST BRANDON.

